The Greatest of Gifts
by Writing4ever4God
Summary: Fourth story in my new series. Abby and Mike are happily engaged and expecting their first child. When tragedy strikes, Abby learns that God always has a back up plan. R/R
1. Chapter 1

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. I do however own all of the Human characters, along with the ponies Baby Rainbow Star, Mahina and Melody.  
God loves you  
Enjoy!

"The Greatest of Gifts"

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful spring Saturday morning in Ponyland. Abby was in the Lullaby Nursery, braiding Baby Glory's mane and tail. She had asked Abby to do it for her that morning. She loved Abby a lot. All the baby ponies did, but Baby Glory liked her the best.

"You make me pretty, Aunt Abby!" she shouted.

"You're already pretty," Abby said. "Even without braids."

"Do me next, Aunt Abby, pwease?" Baby Shady asked.

"Of course I will," Abby said, smiling.

As Abby was brushing Baby Shady's mane, Megan walked in and saw her.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi honey," Abby said. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks. How are you?"

"Well, okay, really. To tell you the truth, I feel a little queasy."

"Aunt Abby sick?" Baby Glory asked, worried.

"Oh no, my little angel," Abby said, smiling at Baby Glory. "Just a little uneasy in my tummy, that's all."

"Well, how about some breakfast?" Megan suggested. "Patrick's told me that whenever he wakes up with an upset stomach, once he eats something, it's all right."

"I hope Cupcake can make me some strawberry pancakes," Abby said. "I've got this weird craving for them."

Abby, Megan, and the baby ponies walked into Paradise Estate. Patrick was already in the kitchen. H was eating a bowl of Cocoa Krispies and reading

the comics.

"Good morning, Patrick," Megan said, kissing Patrick's cheek.

"Eeeeuuwwww!" Julie, Molly, and Kassie shouted from the doorway. Then they dissolved in a fit of giggles.

"Okay, that's enough," Mike said. "And no more Camp Kissy Face. I might lose my appetite."

Patrick held his spoon threatening towards his uncle, but he was smiling.

Cupcake was making strawberry pancakes for Abby.

"Are you all right, Abby?" she asked, setting the pancakes in front of her friend. "You don't look very well."

"I think I might need to see a doctor," Abby said.

"Go to Dr. Larson or Dr. Chasity," Patrick said. "They're great."

"I think I'll do that after I eat and get dressed," Abby said.

After her second helping of pancakes, Abby started feeling more queasy than before.

"Well, there's nothin' wrong with your appetite," Mike said.

Abby nodded. She was about to finish her coffee, when she felt the sudden urge to throw up.

She jumped up and ran for the downstairs bathroom.

Just then, Emily and Matt came into the room.

Emily had just gotten ready and Matt had just arrived via Surprise.

"Aloha!" Matt greeted everyone. "Howzit?"

Molly grinned when she saw him. She jumped to her feet and ran to give him a hug.

Matt hugged her back before ruffling her hair and sitting down across from Megan and Patrick.

The moment he sat down, Emily made herself comfortable on his lap. She loved Matt a lot. She thought of him as a second father. Her biological father had been killed in a surfing accident back when she was seven.

"Ae." Emily agreed as Matt put his arm around her. "What'd we miss?"

Megan giggled at her little cousin's words before filling her in.

Once she was done, she went to see if Abby was okay.

Molly stayed behind to finish her breakfast before getting ready for school.

Julie had just finished hers and was now getting ready for English with Magic Star.

Mike filled Matt in on the rest of it as he finished his own breakfast.

Emily got off Matt's lap after a minute or so and got herself some breakfast of her own. She also made sure Mahina had something to eat.

Once her daughter was fed, Emily dug into the pancakes Cupcake had just placed in front of her.

Meanwhile, Megan, Brooke and Patrick walked into the bathroom to make sure she was okay.

Megan held Abby's reddish brown ponytail back so it wouldn't get messed up.

"Mom, are you all right?" Brooke asked worriedly.

Abby nodded as she sipped at a cup of water Megan was holding out to her.

"Yeah, sweetheart. I'm fine." She replied.

Brooke nodded, but she still looked a little worried. She and Abby were extremely close.

"I think I need to see Dr. Larson now." Abby added. "Where's Flutterbye?"

Flutterbye was Abby's favorite pegasus to ride. She didn't go to fast and she was the first pegasus Abby had really connected with on her first few trips to Ponyland.

Flutterbye walked in and gave Abby a concerned look.

"What's up?" She asked.

Abby explained the situation to her and Flutterbye agreed to help almost instantly.

Abby kissed Brooke, told her to be good and mounted Flutterbye for the journey over the Rainbow.

Once she left, Brooke walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

Emily wandered in after a while and sat next to her.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Brooke was one of her favorite cousins next to Molly.

Brooke shook her head.

"I'm worried about Mom." She confessed. "Flutterbye had to take her to the doctor over the Rainbow. I hope she's gonna be okay."

Emily nodded. She gave Brooke a hug and her cousin hugged back.

"Thanks." She said once they had pulled away.

Emily shook her head.

"It's okay. Everything will be all right. Shaka." She advised.

"I'll try." Brooke said, even though she was still worried.

Meanwhile, Abby and Flutterbye had made it over the Rainbow. They were now waiting for Dr. Larson to tell them to see them.

Dr. Larson arrived a few minutes later with Jeanie Mathews in toe. Jeanie was one of the girls' favorite nurses. Abby liked her a lot too.

"I didn't expect to see you in here today." Dr. Larson said with a warm smile. "What can I do for you, Abby?"

Abby explained to Arielle and Jeanie what was going on.

Once she was done, Dr. Larson ordered a CBC and some other routine tests so they could see what was wrong.

The tests didn't take too long to perform. It took longer for the results to come in then it did for the actual tests to be done.

"What did you find out?" Abby asked when Dr. Larson returned twenty minutes after doing the blood test.

Dr. Larson smiled, which made Abby feel a little less nervous. She was curious to know what had made her so happy.

"Abby, we have great news," Jeanie said. "Actually, it's great news for both you and Mike."

"What?" Abby asked, curious.

"You're pregnant," Dr. Larson said.

"Pregnant?" Abby repeated, and she smiled. "I'm going to have a baby?"

Dr. Larson nodded.

Abby grinned a mile wide. She hugged both Arielle and Jeanie, thanked them for their help and left the same way she had come.

During the flight home, Abby's mind was whirling. She couldn't believe that she was going to be a mother again. Brooke was going to be a big sister. She knew Brooke would be thrilled to hear that.

She had begged Abby for a baby sister ever since after Molly had been born.

As these happy thoughts and possibilities ran through her mind, one terrible thought pushed its way to the front of her mind.

What if Mike didn't want a baby right now? What if he left her like Jerry had after he had found out she was pregnant with Brooke?

"Abby?" Flutterbye said as they neared Dream Valley. "What happened?"

Abby shook herself from her thoughts long enough to answer her friend's question.

"I'm pregnant." She replied. "I'm gonna have a baby."

"That's great!" Flutterbye shouted.

Abby nodded.

"Maybe." She said absently.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't notice when they had touched down in Dream Valley until Flutterbye told her they were home.

Abby forced her mind back to the present long enough to climb off Flutterbye's back and follow her into the Estate.

As they entered the Estate, Abby was nearly run over by Brooke, who ran at her the second she appeared in the living room.

"Mom! You're back! Are you okay?" She asked. She hugged her tightly as Abby picked her up.

Brooke didn't mind when Abby did this, even though she was ten.

"I'm fine." Abby said. "I promise. Come on, let's go to my room for a talk." With that, she carried Brooke into her bedroom and set her down.

"What's going on?" Brooke asked as she sat down on her mother's bed and waited for her mother to answer her question.

Abby sighed. She sat down next to her little girl and took her into her arms once again.

"What would you say if I told you you were going to be a big sister?" Abby asked.

Brooke's face broke into a grin.

"Really? Are you serious?" She asked.

"Shh! And yes, I am." Abby replied. "Honey, I'm pregnant."

"YES!" Brooke cheered. She hugged Abby and her mother hugged back.

As they pulled away, the eight-year-old frowned.

"Why didn't you tell everyone else?" She asked.

"I'm going to." She assured her. "But I wanted to talk to you first. You know we've always been a team. Even before Mike came into my life. I wanted to tell you first."

"Thanks." Brooke replied. She hugged her mother again.

"No problem, sweetheart. I love you. I want you to know that."

"I love you too." Brooke replied.

Abby grinned.

"Now, let's go tell the others."

"Yeah!" Brooke agreed. With that, she followed her mother out to the living room where everyone else was gathered.

Once they got there, Brooke sat down next to Emily. She couldn't stop grinning.

Emily noticed and gave her cousin a puzzled look.

Brooke leaned over and whispered so only Emily could hear her.

"You were right!" She said.

Emily nodded and smiled just as Abby cleared her throat.

"Well, as you know, I wasn't feeling well this morning, so I went to see Dr. Larson over the Rainbow." She began.

"And?" Everyone asked in unison.

Abby grinned. She walked over to Mike and took his hand in hers. She looked deep into his emerald eyes and tried to find reassurance there. But all she saw was worry and a little curiosity.

She took a deep breath before telling everyone her news.

"Mike," she began, "you know I love you, right?"

Mike nodded. He was beginning to feel a little uneasy.

"I love you too." He assured her. "What's this all about?"

Taking a final deep breath, Abby sent a silent prayer up to God before revealing her big news to everyone.

As she spoke, she didn't break eye contact with her fiancé.

"I'm pregnant." Abby said softly.

"What?" Mike asked. He truly hadn't heard her the first time.

"I'm pregnant." Abby repeated a little louder this time.

The reaction was incredible!

Mike's face broke into a grin and he cheered loudly as did everyone else. He picked Abby up, spun her around and gave her a kiss, before putting her back down.

Molly, Emily, Julie and Kassie cheered loudly as did the baby ponies.

But Abby only had eyes for Mike at the moment.

"So you're not mad?" She asked.

Mike shook his head.

"Of course not. Why would I be mad? I love Brooke and I can't wait until the baby is here."

Abby grinned as a few happy tears coursed down her cheeks. She whispered a thank you to God before embracing her fiancé once again.

Once she had calmed down, she turned around to face everyone else. Her face was glowing with joy and excitement.

"Congratulations, Abby!" Firefly shouted.

"Good show!" North Star exclaimed.

"Way to go, Mike!," Matt said, giving Mike a thump on the shoulder.

"Yay for Mike and Abby!" Molly cheered. "You'll be a great Mommy and Daddy!"

"Molly's right." Megan agreed. "Congratulations!"

"Bloody brilliant!" Patrick shouted.

This got everyone laughing.

Emily ran up to Abby and gave her a hug as did Julie. They then gave Mike high fives and ran off to play.

Molly followed them as did Fizzy.

Patrick went inside to do some leftover homework so he could have some time to spend with Firefly before dinner.

Brooke went on a celebratory flight with Locket, who was her favorite pegasus and Megan went to put the baby ponies down for a nap.

This left Abby and Mike alone for a little bit.

"Let's take a walk." Mike suggested.

"Okay." Abby agreed. She made sure Brooke was going to be okay and then took Mike's hand.

The couple walked for a few minutes in silence.

As they passed the Mushromp, Mike broke the silence.

"So why did you think I would be mad about the babe?" He asked. He was truly curious and concerned for his wife-to-be.

Abby sighed. She knew she would have to tell Mike sooner or later, but she had hoped it would be later.

"Abby?" Mike said tentatively.

Abby turned around to face him and he could see tears in her blue eyes.

He took her into his arms and hugged her close.

"Just talk to me. " He encouraged. "You know I'll listen. Whatever it is, we'll get through it together. I love you and nothing's going to change that." He planted a kiss on her cheek and put a hand through her hair.

Once Abby sorted her thoughts out in her mind, she started to speak.

"Jerry left me right before Brooke was born. He didn't want any kids and he made it quite clear. But one night, well one thing led to another and…she was best gift I received out of that nightmare." She said softly. "I love her so much. I guess I just thought that…" Her voice trailed off as more tears came.

"That history would repeat itself?" Mike guessed.

Abby nodded as she let out a sob.

"Abby, sweetheart, I love you. I loved you from the first time I met you four years ago and I love you just as much now-maybe more so. We're getting married in a year and we already have a beautiful daughter. I would never hurt you like that."

Abby nodded. She let the remaining tears fall as Mike held her close.

They stayed like that for a little while longer before heading back to the Estate.

They walked into the dining room to find Brooke and Emily, along with Fizzy, playing a game of Go Fish.

When Brooke saw her mother, she jumped up and ran to her.

"Mom, are you okay?" She asked when she saw the tear tracks on her mother's cheeks.

Abby smiled.

"I'm more than okay." She replied. She hugged Brooke and kissed the top of her head. She gave Emily a hug before going into the kitchen to see what Cupcake was doing.

Mike ended up joining the girls in their game. They played for another half an hour and then broke up to do their own thing.

Mike wandered into the living room to find Matt surfing the channels on the TV while Oliver, Julie's cat, napped on his lap.

"Hey man." Mike said wit ha grin. "What's up?"

"Firefly was a few minutes ago." Matt replied. "But I Think she and Patrick went for a flight."

"Good one. " Mike replied. He sighed as his thoughts wandered to Abby.

"Pineapple for them?" Matt inquired kindly.

Mike sighed. He told Matt everything Abby had told him, hoping he would have some advice for him.

Matt frowned once Mike was done explaining.

"That's rough." He commented. "Some people aren't meant to be parents. I know you would never do that to Abby. You love her too much. The best thing you can do is be there for her." He said.

"Thanks." Mike replied.

"No problem." Matt said. He settled down to watch a rerun of "Family Matters" while Mike let his thoughts wander…


	2. Chapter 2

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. I do however own all of the Human characters, along with the ponies Baby Rainbow Star, Mahina and Melody.  
God loves you  
Enjoy!

"The Greatest of Gifts"

Chapter 2

Meanwhile, Megan went to see what was going on in the lullaby nursery. She found Baby Glory, Ember and Baby Rainbow Star playing a game of jacks. She sat down to watch the game for awhile.

After about five minutes, Baby Rainbow Star came over to her and crawled into her lap.

"Aunt Abby gonna have baby, Mama?" She asked.

Megan nodded and patted her daughter's mane.

"Yup."

"How long till it comes?" Baby Rainbow Star asked.

"Nine months," Megan said.

"How long is dat?" She asked.

Megan giggled a little. Baby Rainbow Star was so curious and wanted to know everything. She didn't like feeling left out.

"It's two months after a certain someone I know turns three." She said.

"Aunt Abby gonna have her baby on my birftday?".

"Maybe," Megan said. "Hey, let's see what Patrick's up to." She picked Baby Rainbow Star up and headed for the den.

She was hoping Patrick and Firefly were back from their flight.

As she got closer, she heard Molly say, "There's Hagrid!" She smiled. She knew Patrick was watching "Harry Potter" and something told her his spunky Punky was enjoying it with him.

"Do the spiders come yet, kiddo?" Firefly asked. She was sitting next to Patrick and Molly was playing with her mane, trying to French braid it.

Patrick laughed and held his own magic wand in his hand.

"No. Don't worry. I'll let you know." He knew Firefly hated spiders. She hated them even more than mazes.

Molly giggled.

"This movie doesn't scare me one bit. I'm as brave as they come."

Megan giggled as she walked into the room. She wasn't going to join them because she wanted to spend some time with her daughter. She also didn't' want Baby Rainbow Star watching "Harry Potter" until she was at least eight-years-old. She didn't want her scared unnecessarily.

"You certainly are, my little sunshine," Megan said, coming into the room and giving Molly a hug. "I just came in here to see what you were up to. Finally got a chance to watch "Harry Potter" I see. Which one is this?"

"The Chamber of Secrets," Both Patrick and Molly replied in unison while using their British accents.

Megan giggled and Firefly rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

Megan looked over at her mother and then down at Molly.

"Moll, what are you doing to Mom?" She was smiling a half smile.

"Making her look pretty," Molly replied in true Punky Fashion.

Megan nodded.

"I can see that. Did you ask her if you could do it?"

Molly rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Yes."

"Don't you roll your eyes at me, miss," Megan said, a little sternly. "Do you need to go on time out?"

Molly shook her head.

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely.

"That's better. I'll be outside if you guys need me." She patted Firefly's mane and kissed Patrick's cheek before giving Molly a kiss and leaving the room.

they continued to watch the movie.

When Arigog, the spider, came on, Firefly pretended to

be looking in the mirror to see what Molly had done to her hair. She was actually freaked out, but she didn't want to lead on.

After the movie was over, Molly said she wanted to see the third one and was disappointed that it wasn't out yet.

"I'll tell you what, my spunky Punky," Patrick said, "if you keep Aunt Abby's baby shower quiet, I'll let you listen to my copy of the Prisoner of Askaban."

"It's a DEAL!"

Patrick laughed and set Molly up with "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban" Before leaving to take another flight with Firefly.

Meanwhile, Megan was in the lullaby nursery, reading Baby Rainbow Star, Baby Half Note and Ember a story. It was called "Kirsten's Perfect Pet". Baby Rainbow Star liked it because it had lions in it and lions were her favorite animal. Baby Half Note and Ember just plain liked it.

"Finish tory, Mama!" Baby Rainbow Star said excitedly. "Me want to know what pet Kiwrsten get."

Megan sat down and picked the book back up, but she didn't continue. At least not yet.

"I didn't' hear any nice words…" She said, gazing down at her overly excited daughter.

"Pwease! Pwease!" Baby Rainbow Star said.

"Okay. That's better. Now where was I?"

"Kirsten asked her Mommy for a hippo." Ember said.

Megan nodded and read the rest of the book.

When she finished, Baby Half Note wanted her to read another one.

Unfortunately, it was soon dinnertime and Megan wanted to get dinner ready.

"After dinner, sweetie, " Megan promised. "Before nap."

Baby Half Note pouted, but accepted her answer as did the other baby ponies.

Ember was fine with it as usual. She wasn't a hard baby pony to please.

While the other baby ponies went off to play, Ember left to find Twilight. She wanted to see what her mother was doing.

A few weeks after Abby had become pregnant, she was in the kitchen with Cupcake, along with some of the others. She was helping Cupcake make some cupcakes for a fund raiser Julie was working on with Charlotte and Emily, when she suddenly got the craving for water melon.

She had been getting cravings for the last few weeks, but fortunately for Mike, he was always able to either buy or make what she asked for. This time, it wouldn't be that easy.

"I could really go for some water melon right now." Abby said off handedly.

Mike nodded, stood up and prepared to climb on Firefly, who was just hanging around, hoping to get a taste of one of the cupcakes.

"Firefly, could you fly me to the store?"

"Sure!" Firefly replied. "It beats hanging around here waiting for the cupcakes to be done."

Cupcake glared at her, but Firefly ignored her.

"What are we getting?" She asked. Her mind had been on other things when Abby had voiced her desire for water melon.

"Some water melon." Mike replied.

Firefly gave Mike a confused look.

"Mike, watermelon isn't in season," Firefly said. "You'd have to go to Mexico to get it."

"I guess we're going to Mexico," Mike said, shrugging. "I want to make these next nine months as comfortable as possible for Abby."

Mike climbed on Firefly's back and the two of them were off.

Patrick laughed.

Brooke giggled as well. She had been doing some homework in the kitchen. She wanted to be as close to her mother as possible.

"Wow!" She exclaimed. "You have Dad wrapped around your finger." She commented.

Abby giggled.

"And what's your excuse, missy?" She asked playfully.

Brooke couldn't argue about that. She was definitely a Daddy's girl.

Brooke shook her head, finished up her math and left to take a flight with Masquerade. She wanted to hang out outside for a while.

Later that night, all of Paradise Estate was asleep when a terrified scream broke the silence.

"NO!"

Abby heard the scream and recognized who it was immediately. She jumped out of bed and made her way to her daughter's room.

Flipping on the light, she entered the room and sat down on the edge of Brooke's bed.

"Brooke?" She asked. "Sweetheart, what happened? Did you have a bad dream?"

Brooke nodded. She let out a sob as the tears came.

"Honey, whatever it was, you know it wasn't real, right?" Abby assured her.

Brooke shook her head.

"It…sob….it was…sob….about…you!" She managed to choke out.

"What do you mean?" Abby asked. She reached her arms out to her distraught daughter and the ten-year-old fell into them gratefully.

Brooke let out another sob as she felt her mother comb a hand through her hair.

"Shh, shh, it's okay now." Abby soothed. "You're okay. I'm right here."

"It's not okay!" Brooke insisted tearfully.

"Brooke, what's gotten you so scared?" She asked softly.

Brooke shuddered just thinking about it.

"I had a dream that you…you…you lost the baby!" She sobbed out. With that, she broke down in the safest place she knew.

Abby held her and encouraged her to cry it out. She reminded her she was safe and tried to convince her that her nightmare was just that.

But even as she tried to convince Brooke of this, a part of Abby wasn't so sure herself…


	3. Chapter 3

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. I do however own all of the Human characters, along with the ponies Baby Rainbow Star, Mahina and Melody.  
God loves you  
Enjoy!

"The Greatest of Gifts"

Chapter 3

Abby finally managed to get Brooke back to sleep. She ended up staying with her for a while until she was sure she was asleep.

"I love you, sweetheart. " Abby whispered. She planted a kiss on Brooke's cheek and ran a hand through her light brown hair. "Sweet dreams." With that, she left the room and returned to the one she shared with Mike.

When she returned, she laid in bed only to find she couldn't fall asleep herself.

She couldn't get Brooke's nightmare out of her mind. What she had assured Brooke of was true, but Abby still couldn't get Brooke's words out of her head.

She almost jumped a mile when she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist.

"Is everything okay?" Mike asked as he kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

"Yeah." Abby replied. "Brooke just had a bad dream. I got her back to sleep."

"Why can't you sleep?" Mike asked in concern.

Abby sighed.

"I guess I'm just worried about the baby."

"Don't be." Mike said. "She'll be fine and so are you. God will take care of both of you."

Abby nodded. She knew Mike spoke the truth on that point.

Despite her fiancé's comforting words of truth, Abby found herself unable to sleep until very early in the morning. Try as she might, she couldn't get what Brooke had said out of her mind.

For the next few days, Brooke was stuck to her mother like glue. She only left her to go to school and hang out with Emily. She also allowed her to get rest when she needed it.

Any other time, she was near her or around her as much as she could be without crowding her. She was just determined that her nightmare wouldn't become a reality. She couldn't lose her new baby sister. She was also worried about her Mom. She loved her so much and she didn't want her to go through the pain of losing the baby.

"Do you want to go for a flight?" Locket asked a few days after Brooke's nightmare.

The eight-year-old was laying in the grass by Posey's garden, staring at the clouds.

"No thanks." Brooke replied. "I wanna relax for a little bit. Besides, I wanna be here when my Mom gets home from grocery shopping with Masquerade and Surprise."

Locket nodded. She flew off to see if Masquerade wanted to hang out with her.

Firefly flew down to Brooke a minute or so after Locket left.

"Wanna take a flight?" She asked. "I've missed hanging out with you lately."

Brooke thought about it and nodded. She got up, climbed on Firefly's back and held on as the pink pegasus took to the air.

"Do you mind if it's a short one?" Brooke asked.

Firefly frowned.

"No. But can I ask why? Do you have homework to do?"

"No." Brooke replied. "I just wanna be home when Mom and Dad get back so I can help put the groceries away." Brooke replied.

Firefly nodded. She could tell something was wrong with the eight-year-old and she wanted to figure out what it was.

"I'm sure Megan and Mike can handle putting the food away. Emily and Julie can help them. Let's you and I have talk."

"Okay." Brooke said uncertainly. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"You." Firefly replied. "And why you're so clingy with your Mom lately."

"I'm not-" Brooke started to say, but Firefly cut her off.

"Yes you have." Firefly insisted firmly, but kindly. "What's the deal, honey? I mean I know you and your Mom are close, but…"

Brooke sighed. She knew she had to tell someone else about what was on her mind. She also knew Firefly was the best one to talk to when she felt like she couldn't tell anyone else.

Taking a deep breath, Brooke started to explain.

"I'm just afraid my nightmare will come true." She confessed. "I don't want anything to happen to Mom or the baby."

"Oh Brooke, honey, nothing's going to happen to your Mom or the baby. It was just a nightmare, sweetie. Besides, the way your Dad's been about watching out for her, I doubt he would let anything happen to her."

Brooke nodded. She still wasn't convinced though.

"Do you feel better now?" Firefly asked after she had done the double-inside-out loop and the two were heading back to Paradise Estate.

"A little." Brooke admitted.

"Good. I'm glad." With that, Firefly landed and Brooke got off her back. She thanked her for the flight and went inside to find her Mom. She wanted to spend some time with her before she finished what little homework she had left.

She found her in the kitchen. She was eating a slice of cooked ham with a pineapple on top.

Brooke giggled when she saw what her mother was eating.

"Want some, sweetie?" Abby asked once she had swallowed.

"Sure." Brooke replied. She sat down at the table and took the slice her mother offered her. "Where did you get that stuff?" She asked.

"Emily turned me onto it." She replied.

Brooke nodded. Her smile turned into a frown as she gazed down at her mother's ever growing belly.

"Brooke, are you still afraid about what happened in your nightmare?" Abby asked gently.

Brooke nodded.

"Sweetheart, I told you, it was only a nightmare. I'm fine."

"But-" Brooke started, but her mother cut her off.

"No buts. I'll be fine and so will the baby." She smiled as she added, "Daddy won't let anything happen to me."

Brooke managed a small smile at her mother's comment.

"That's what Firefly said." She told her.

"You went on a flight with Firefly?" Abby asked.

"Yeah." Brooke replied as she swallowed her last bite of ham and pineapple. "Hmmm! That was really delicious!"

"Or if you wanna get Ha'v'aiian about it," Emily said from the doorway, "you say Ono. Ono is delicious in Ha'v'aiian."

Brooke grinned at her cousin and best friend.

"It was Ono then." She said.

"That's the Aloha spirit!" Emily said with a giggle. "Do you wanna go flying with Firefly and Naia and me? We're gonna go around Ponyland before dinner."

Before Brooke could say yes or no, Abby answered for her.

"That's a good idea." She said. "Go on, sweetheart. You'll have fun."

Brooke frowned.

"But I just went flying with Firefly a few minutes ago." She protested. "I wanna spend some time with you."

"We can spend time together after you get back." Abby said. "Go on." With that, she kissed Brooke on the cheek, gave Emily a hug and left the room.

"Come on, cuz!" Emily encouraged. "We'll have fun!"

Sighing to herself, Brooke followed the eight-year-old out of the kitchen and outside to where Naia and Firefly were waiting.

Firefly grinned when she saw her.

"You can't get away from me that easily." She said with a laugh. "Hop on, sweetie!"

Brooke did so, but she wasn't happy about it. She had a lot on her mind. All she really wanted to do was spend time with her mother. Why couldn't everyone understand that?

"Brooke?" Emily asked as they rounded a bend and were heading back to Paradise Estate.

"Yeah?" Brooke asked as though coming out of a daydream.

Emily frowned.

"I asked you if you wanted to play a game with me after dinner."

"No thanks. " Brooke replied. "I'm gonna hang out with my Mom."

"Okay." Emily said. She really missed hanging out with Brooke the past few weeks. She hoped they would be able to hang out again soon.

After dinner was over, Brooke went to find her mother. She found her in the living room relaxing by the fire.

Brooke joined her and the two started an easy conversation about anything and everything.

Brooke took her mother about the flight she had taken with Firefly and Emily.

"See?" Abby said as she ruffled Brooke's hair. "I told you you would have fun."

Brooke nodded.

Before she knew it, it was nine-thirty and time for her to go to sleep.

Her parents tucked her in and Abby stayed with her for a little bit.

Once Brooke was asleep, Abby left the room and joined Megan for a cup of tea before going to bed herself. It had been a long day. She needed the rest, along with the baby…


	4. Chapter 4

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. I do however own all of the Human characters, along with the ponies Baby Rainbow Star, Mahina and Melody.  
God loves you  
Enjoy!

"The Greatest of Gifts"

Chapter 4

All of Paradise Estate was asleep and everything was quiet as the clock in the living room struck two.

Megan was fast asleep, until she was woken up by Baby Glory. The baby pony sounded terrified.

"Baby Glory, honey, what's the matter? " Megan asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes and pushing a few strands of blond hair out of her face.

"Anoder ghost in Paradise Estate!" She cried. "scary wind sound."

Megan sighed and went to see what was going on. When she got to the nursery, she found that some of the baby ponies were wide awake. Their pillows and blankets were everywhere. She frowned and asked, "What's going on in here?"

"Ghost here!" Baby Half Note told her.

"Anowder ghost!" Baby Cotton Candy said tearfully. She was clutching her teddy bear.

"IT looks more like a pillow fight to me."

"We didn't do nothin'!" Baby Sundance shouted. "Ghost did it!"

"Hush now, Baby Sundance," Megan said sternly. She went over to the window and closed it. She then turned to the baby ponies that were awake, which included Baby Rainbow Star.

"See? All better. Now, there's nobody in here but you. No ghost."

Baby Rainbow Star shook her head and sat up, knowing that would get her Mama's attention. She wanted to be held.

"But there weally was a ghost, Mama! Weally."

"Now let's get some more sleep," Megan said coming over to re tuck Baby Rainbow Star back in.

"Don't want to be alone, Megan!" Baby Glory pleaded, her eyes still full of tears.

"Stay Mama, pwease?" Baby Rainbow Star asked, her tone was tearful and scared.

Megan sighed and sat down. She started patting Baby Rainbow Star's mane gently in an effort to get her daughter back to sleep.

"Listen to me, all of you, I'm tellin' ya, there are NO such things as ghosts. Believe me." She then started to sing, knowing that would do the trick.

Once she was done singing, Megan kissed Baby Rainbow Star's cheek and left the room.

"Sweet dreams, my precious one. Mama loves you. I'll see you in the morning." She then turned to the remaining baby ponies who were still awake and said, "That goes for the rest of you. I Love you all very much. I'll see you in the morning. And NO more fooling around. Okay?"

The baby ponies nodded.

As Megan left the nursery and made her way down the hall to her room, she heard something that made her stop and double back.

She peeked in Brooke's room to see her little cousin tossing and turning and whimpering. She thought about getting Aunt Abby, but she decided against it. She knew her aunt needed her rest.

Walking into the room, she went over to Brooke's bed and sat down on the edge of it.

Gently, but quickly, Megan started shaking Brooke's shoulder in an effort to wake her up.

"Brooke? Brooke, come on, sweetheart. It's just a bad dream." Megan coaxed gently. "You're okay. It's time to wake up now." She coaxed, praying it would work.

Brooke bolted upright a few minutes later. She was shaking and tears were streaming down her face.

She reached out, desperate for something to cling to and felt the gentle arms of her big cousin pull her close.

"Shh," Megan soothed, putting her hands through her hair gently. "Shh, hush now. It's all over. You're safe. You're okay. Everything's all right. Your big cousin has you now."

Brooke nodded, but she was still highly upset. She buried her face in Megan's shoulder as more sobs racked her small form.

Megan continued to soothe her little cousin until the eight-year-old's tears subsided a little.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Megan asked.

Brooke shook her head.

Just then, Abby appeared in the doorway. She became worried when she saw Brooke crying in Megan's arms.

"Brooke?" She said softly.

Hearing her mother's familiar voice, Brooke broke free of Megan's gentle hold and flew over to her mother. She clung to her for dear life as Abby picked her up.

"Shh, shh, Brooke, you're okay. Mommy has you now. Was it the same nightmare again, baby?"

Brooke nodded as a fresh set of tears started.

"Can I sleep with you tonight, please!" She begged.

Abby knew this was bad. Brooke hadn't slept with her since she was seven-years-old.

"Of course you can." Abby replied. "Come on, let's get you tucked in." With that, she left the room with Brooke in her arms.

Once she had gotten Brooke settled and had explained to a half awake Mike what was going on, she kissed Brooke's cheek and sung her back to sleep.

After she was sure Brooke was in dreamland once again, she went to tell Megan everything was okay.

"Is Brooke gonna be okay?" Megan asked when Abby met her in the hallway.

"I hope so." Abby said as she gave Megan a hug. "I really hope so. I'm sure once the baby is born and she sees her new little sister or brother is okay, she'll be fine."

Megan nodded.

"Well, good night, Aunt Abby. I love you." Megan said as she kissed her aunt and turned to go back into her own room.

"Night, sweetheart." Abby replied, returning the affection. "I love you too." With that, the Estate fell silent for the rest of the night…

The next morning, things were a little quiet.

Abby was munching on some water melon and pineapple dipped in syrup, while the others ate their respective breakfasts around her.

The only one not eating was Brooke. She was swirling her cereal around with her fork while trying not to fall asleep. She had slept the night before, but she had woken up from another nightmare early that morning.

Abby gazed at her daughter in concern. She frowned before getting up and rounding the table to her side.

"When you're done, I want you to go back to bed for a while." She instructed her kindly. "You're not going to school today."

Brooke nodded. She wasn't going to argue with her mother on that one.

"Brooke tired, Mama?" Baby Rainbow Star asked.

"A little, sweetie," Megan replied. "She had a rough night."

Baby Rainbow Star nodded and went back to eating her breakfast.

After breakfast, Abby tucked Brooke back in bed and stayed with her until she was asleep.

She then went to see what everyone else was doing around the Estate.

Firefly and Patrick were taking a flight since Patrick had off school due to in service.

Megan was teaching Kassie and Julie, while Molly was in science with Posey.

Abby finally just decided to vedge out on the couch for a while until Brooke woke up from her nap. She was going to talk to her when she did awaken.

After she got herself a snack of ham and pineapple, along with some pineapple juice, she settled back down on the couch.

As she was watching a re run of "Family Feud" Baby Glory came into the living room and joined her.

Abby smiled as she patted her mane.

"What's up, my little angel?" She asked sweetly.

Baby Glory just cuddled next to her favorite aunt. She just wanted to be close to her right now.

As Baby Glory continued to cuddle with Abby, she felt something kick her.

"Something kick me!" She said in surprise.

Abby grinned. She had a feeling she knew what it was.

"It was probably the baby." She said. "Babies move around a lot in their Mama's tummies."

"Baby in Aunt Abby's tummy?" Baby Glory asked.

"Yup." Abby replied. She patted Baby Glory's mane as she waited to see what the final Jeopardy question would be.

"How did baby get there?" Baby Glory asked curiously.

Fortunately, Brooke chose that moment to join them. She came straight over to her mother and sat next to her.

"Hey, Brooke." Abby greeted warmly. "Did you sleep well?"

Brooke nodded.

"Yeah." She replied. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." Abby replied. "I want you to feel something."

"What?" The eight-year-old asked.

"You'll see." Abby said with a loving smile.

Brooke nodded. She allowed her mother to place her right hand on her stomach.

After a minute, Brooke felt something move.

Her face split into a grin.

"The baby moved!" She exclaimed. "She moved!"

"Yup." Abby said. "She just started kicking today."

"Does that mean she's okay?" Brooke asked hopefully.

Abby nodded. She pulled her eldest daughter close.

"She's more than okay." She said with a smile as she kissed the top of Brooke's head.

This made Brooke feel a lot better.

After spending a little time with her mother, Brooke left to see what Emily and Molly were doing. She found them outside, playing bubble ball.

"Come and join us!" Fizzy called.

"Okay!" Brooke called back.

Soon, all three girls and Fizzy were laughing up a storm. Brooke was having fun and she didn't feel as scared about her mother possibly losing the baby.

Feeling her new sister move in her mother's stomach was enough to convince her that everything just might be okay after all…


	5. Chapter 5

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. I do however own all of the Human characters, along with the ponies Baby Rainbow Star, Mahina and Melody.  
God loves you  
Enjoy!

A/N: This is where things really pick up speed!

"The Greatest of Gifts"

Chapter 5

Eight months flew by in a blur for Abby, Mike, Brooke and the others.

The months had been spent getting ready for the new baby as well as school ending for the girls and Patrick having to take finals for his junior year.

Brooke hadn't had a nightmare in the last six months, which was a relief to both her and her parents. She was back to her old self and she and Emily were hanging out together again.

Matt had also been up to visit more often in the last few months.

Emily liked having him around more often as did Mahina.

Everyone was excited about the baby coming.

One Tuesday a few weeks before the baby was due, Abby decided to take a flight with Flutterbye. She was tired of being cooped up in the Estate and she needed some fresh air.

Brooke had just gotten back from a flight with Naia. She was working on some beaded artwork for the baby's room when Abby passed her on her way outside.

"Hey Mom!" Brooke said happily. "What's up?"

Abby giggled.

"Nothing much. I'm gonna see if Flutterbye wants to go on a flight."

Brooke stopped what she was doing immediately and jumped to her feet.

"Mom, you can't!" She shouted. "What about the baby?"

"Brooke, the baby's fine." Abby assured her. "You went with me for my last ultra sound and saw for yourself. Dr. Larson and Dr. Chasity said she was healthy."

"I know, but what if you fall off?" Brooke asked worriedly.

"Honey, when has Flutterbye ever let me fall off?" Abby asked.

"Never." Brooke answered. "But you've never been pregnant before either."

Abby raised her eyebrows and Brooke actually giggled at her mistake.

"I meant you've never been pregnant and flown on any of the pegasi before." She corrected herself.

Abby sighed, took Brooke in to her arms and gave her a hug and kiss.

"Sweetheart, I'll be fine and so will the baby. Flutterbye would never let anything happen to me. Why don't you finish your artwork for the nursery and when I get back, I'll quiz you for the spelling bee."

"Okay." Brooke replied.

"That's my girl." Abby said lovingly. With that, she left.

But even as Brooke tried to concentrate on her project, she found her mind wandering to her mother and then to the nightmares. She couldn't help but feel that her mother was making a huge mistake!

Meanwhile, Abby had found Flutterbye. She was helping Peachy pick peaches for her famous peach pie.

"Hey Peachy!" Abby called as she approached them. "Do you mind if I borrow Flutterbye for a while. I wanna go on a flight."

Peachy frowned.

"I don't mind," she started. "But do you think that's such a good idea?"

Abby nodded.

"I'll be fine. Besides, Flutterbye's one of the gentlest fliers in all of Ponyland."

"You got that right." Flutterbye agreed. She landed so Abby could mount her.

Once Abby was on and holding on tightly, Flutterbye rose into the air and took off for the fields of Dream Valley.

Almost immediately after they had left, Whizzer came flying by. She loved flying on hot days like this one.

Meanwhile, Abby and Flutterbye were taking a nice flight around Ponyland. They were talking about everything and anything, just enjoying each other's company.

As Flutterbye flew around, Abby took in the sights and smiled. She loved raising Brooke here and she knew her new daughter or son would love it here too. She just knew it.

"All right," Flutterbye said, once they had passed Flutter Valley, "ready to head back?"

"Sure." Abby replied.

Flutterbye flew off in the direction of Paradise Estate.

Meanwhile, back at the Estate, Brooke had come outside to read for a little bit. She loved reading in Posey's garden. She found it very calm and peaceful there.

She also wanted to see if her mother wanted to make some brownies after dinner. She would have to ask her when she returned from her flight with Flutterbye.

As Brooke turned the page in her book, she started getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach concerning her Mom.

Trying to push it aside for the time being, Brooke continued to read.

When she couldn't concentrate anymore, she put the book down and caught sight of Firefly and Julie doing the double-inside-out-loop a little ways away from the Estate.

Smiling to herself, Brooke got up and went to watch them. She liked watching Firefly do her tricks.

As the little girl neared the spot where Firefly and Julie were, the pink pegasus landed and Julie climbed off her back.

"Thanks, Firefly!" She said with a grin. "I'm gonna see what my pretty Medley's doing." With that, she left.

Firefly smiled after her. She caught sight of Brooke and her grin grew wider.

"Wanna go for a flight with me, sweetie?" She asked.

"Sure!" Brooke replied. She climbed on Firefly's back and hung on as she took to the skies.

The two went down a familiar and fairly close trail before heading back to Ponyland.

"Can we do the double-inside-out-loop, please?" Brooke asked.

"You don't even have to ask!" Firefly shouted excitedly. With that, she went into her famous trick.

As she went to do it a second time, Brooke gasped.

Just up ahead of them were Flutterbye and her Mom.

"Firefly, wait!" Brooke shouted, but it was too late.

As Firefly went into her famous trick, she flipped around a third time, smacked into something and flipped around a fourth time.

When she landed, she was relieved to discover that Brooke was okay.

But as Brooke opened her eyes, she felt hot tears well up in them.

The pony they had knocked into was Flutterbye. And a few feet away from her, gasping in pain and holding her stomach was her Mom!

It had all happened so fast, Abby had no idea what had hit her.

One minute she was on Flutterbye's back, enjoying the flight and her best friend's company and the next, she was on the ground, unable to get up.

She was vaguely aware of Brooke rushing to her side and her daughter's tearful voice asking if she was all right.

All she knew was that she wasn't okay. She was hurting badly.

As she started to regain her senses, she felt a pair of strong arms lift her to a sitting position and then to her feet.

She heard Mike's familiar voice meet her ears.

"Abby, what happened?"

Abby shook her head as she tried to catch her breath from the pain.

"Flight with Flutterbye…crashed into…fell….stomach hurts!" She managed to gasp.

That was all Brooke needed to hear. She ran from the scene in hysterics.

Medley flew after her, while everyone else surrounded Abby, trying to help her in any way they could.

It looked like Brooke's nightmare might come true after all. Little did they all know that the real nightmare was just beginning…


	6. Chapter 6

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. I do however own all of the Human characters, along with the ponies Baby Rainbow Star, Mahina and Melody.  
God loves you  
Enjoy!

"The Greatest of Gifts"

Chapter 6

"Oh my gosh!" Flutterbye shouted, flying down. "Abby! I am SO sorry!"

"I'm sorrier!" Firefly shouted. "Oh gosh, Abby, I didn't even see you and Flutterbye!"

Abby moaned. She couldn't get up. She managed to turn on her side and grabbed her stomach immediately.

"We need to get Abby to the hospital over the Rainbow. " Mike said. He was trying to keep it together, but it was hard.

"I'll take you." Naia offered.

Mike nodded. He climbed on Naia's back and held Abby in his arms as she took off. He made sure to keep one hand on Naia's mane, so they didn't have a repeat performance of what had happened earlier.

When they reached the hospital, Naia flew directly inside, not bothering with precautions.

Mike quickly explained to Tony what had happened and he paged Dr. Larson and Dr. Anna Marcela immediately.

Before Abby knew what was happening, she was being put on a gurney and wheeled into a trauma room.

After Dr. Larson , Dr. Marcela and a med student named Samantha Kendall made sure Abby's vitals were stable and she could breathe on her own, they did an ultra sound to check on the baby.

The silence that filled the room once the test was completed scared Abby to no end.

"What's going on?" She asked, gazing at Dr. Larson anxiously.

Dr. Larson shook her head and frowned.

This made Abby feel worse. She was sure something was wrong, but nobody was telling her anything at the moment.

"We need to get you up to surgery immediately." Dr. Larson explained.

"Why? What's going on!" Abby demanded.

Dr. Larson sighed.

"We need to deliver the baby now if she has any chance of surviving."

Abby was officially scared to death now. She prayed all the way up to pre-op that her baby would be okay.

Mike stayed with her until she was wheeled into the Or. He gave her a kiss, told her he loved her and promised he would be there when she got out.

Once Abby had been taken in, Mike went back to where Naia was waiting and sighed.

"What now?" Naia asked as she nuzzled the young man.

Mike shook his head helplessly.

"Now we wait and pray." He said. "We pray and wait."

Meanwhile in the OR, Abby was praying silently as they got her ready for surgery.

Dr. Larson was staying with her to keep her calm while the others prepared to get the baby out safely.

"Don't worry." Dr. Larson soothed. "You're gonna be okay."

"Please help my baby." Abby pleaded just before Dr. Marcela put the versed into her IV to make her sleepy. "Please…" With that, everything went black…

Abby awoke a little while later feeling nauseous and very sore.

She heard someone talking softly and realized it was Mike.

"Hey." He said softly when he noticed she was awake.

"Hi." Abby said hoarsely. "What happened? Is our baby…is she all right?"

Mike smiled.

"See for yourself." With that, he held a tiny bundle covered in a pink blanket out to his fiancé.

Abby grinned as she took the precious little one into her arms.

She had happy tears coursing down her cheeks, but she was smiling all the same.

"Hi there little one." She said softly. "Hi. I'm your Mommy. Yes I am. And that's your Daddy." She said turning to Mike. "And you are just the cutest little baby." She cooed.

"So what do you wanna name her?" Mike asked.

Abby thought for a long time. She smiled as the name came to her.

"Sophie." She said. "Sophie Keona Collins. What do you think?"

Mike smiled.

"It's perfect." He replied. He kissed Abby's cheek and then Sophie's head. "Just like her. She's beautiful, Abby."

"Yes, she certainly is." Abby agreed. "I love you, Sophie. I love you so much."

"We both do." Mike told her. "Well, something tells me we better call home and tell everyone the good news. Brooke is probably really worried."

"She looked pretty scared right before we left." Abby said. With that, she continued to gaze down at Sophie with nothing but love in her eyes.

Sophie gazed back up at Abby, her identical blue eyes full of trust and curiosity.

Just then, Dr. Larson came in. She smiled when she saw Abby was awake.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Sore." Abby replied. "A little nauseous."

"That's to be expected." She said. "We'll get you some apple juice." She turned her attention to the baby in Abby's arms. "And how is this little one?" She asked.

"Fine." Abby replied. "Sophie's doing fine."

Dr. Larson grinned.

"Sophie's a pretty name." She commented. "Do you mind if I check her over?"

Abby handed Sophie over a little reluctantly. She knew Dr. Larson would take good care of her, but she still wanted to know her baby was okay.

While she waited for Dr. Larson to finish examining her new daughter, she picked up the phone on the nightstand and dialed Brooke's cell phone.

Meanwhile, back in Ponyland, Brooke was in hysterics in her room. She was sure something bad was going to happen to either her mother or the baby.

Medley was with her, trying to help her feel better, but Brooke wasn't hearing any of it at the moment.

The ringing of her cell phone made her jump. She picked it up, praying it was good news.

"He-hello?" She asked tearfully.

Abby's heart broke at the sound of her eldest daughter's tearful voice.

"Hi Brooke." She said gently.

"Mom!" Brooke cried as a fresh set of tears came. "Mommy, when are you coming home?" She sobbed.

"I'll be home in a few days, sweetheart. I promise. I'm fine." She added.

"Thank the Father!" Brooke replied in relief. Her heartbeat slowed down considerably at her mother's last words. She took a deep breath and prepared to ask the question she was afraid to know the answer to.

But before she got the chance to, her mother beat her to it.

"Your baby sister's fine too." She said.

"How did you…" Brooke asked as she wiped at her eyes.

Abby laughed softly.

"I'm your mother." She replied simply. "Need I say more?"

Brooke laughed despite the tears that were still in her eyes.

"She's really okay?" She asked.

"Yes." Abby replied. "Do you wanna talk to her?"

Brooke giggled at her mother's suggestion.

"Mom! She can't even talk yet!"

"So?" Abby said. "She can hear you. She'll know who you are."

"Okay." Brooke said uncertainly.

Just then, Dr. Larson returned with Sophie. She handed her to Abby and grinned.

"She's gonna be just fine." Dr. Larson replied. "She passed with flying colors."

"Thank you." Abby said sincerely. She took Sophie into her arms and held her close.

Once Dr. Larson left, Abby got back on the phone with Brooke.

"Sorry about that, sweetie. Dr. Larson just brought Sophie back in. She's gonna be fine. Are you ready to say hi to her?"

"Yup." Brooke replied. "I like her name." She added. "It's pretty."

"I'm glad." Abby replied. "I thought so too. All right, here you go." With that, she put the phone to Sophie's right ear and watched her reaction.

"Hi Sophie!" Brooke said happily. "I'm Brooke. I'm your big sister. I can't wait until you come home. I love you, baby."

"Whose that?" Abby asked. "Is that your big sister, Brooke? Yes it is. She loves you so much, yes she does."

Sophie responded by gurgling.

Abby took the phone back and put Sophie down next to her for a minute.

"Brooke? It's me." Abby told her. "I think Sophie liked talking to you."

"She gurgled!" Brooke reported to her mother happily. "She gurgled!"

"I know." Abby said with a smile. "She loves you already. You're gonna be a great big sister! Listen, sweetheart, I need to go. Sophie needs to be fed and I'm a little tired. I'll see you in a few days. Be good for Megan and the ponies and Matt."

"Okay." Brooke said. "I love you too. Tell Soph I love her."

"Will do." Abby said. "I love you, sweetheart." With that, the phone call ended and she turned her attention to Sophie.

As she fed her newborn daughter, she told her all about Ponyland and Brooke and anything else she could think of.

She thanked God over and over again for blessing her with Sophie despite the accident. She was grateful to have her in her life and she loved her so much already.

She couldn't wait to bring her home and introduce her to everyone. She knew they would love her!

Before taking a short nap, Abby called Megan on her cell phone to let her know she and Sophie were okay.

Meanwhile, back in Ponyland, Megan came into the living room, grinning from ear to ear.

Firefly saw her daughter's expression and grew curious.

"What's gotten my sweet girl so happy?" She asked.

"Well…." Megan said, trying to drag it out for as long as she could.

She had just gotten off the phone with Abby who had told her what was going on.

Abby had told her to let the group know that she was coming home safe and sound, but NOT to tell them about Sophie.

Megan had promised she wouldn't say a word and she wasn't about to break her promise.

She smiled around at her friends and said, "I just got off the phone with Aunt Abby. She's coming home. And she and Mike have a surprise."

Patrick smiled at this. He was looking forward to seeing Abby again. And the thought of a surprise had managed to peek his curiosity.

"What the surprise, Mama?" Baby Rainbow Star asked, nuzzling her mother hopefully.

"I'm sorry, my little one, " Megan said, using her special name for her daughter, "but Mama can't tell you. Aunt Abby asked me not to. You'll see soon enough. I promise." With that, she picked Baby Rainbow Star up and headed for the nursery.

"I hate when she does that!" Patrick said, more out of excitement and anticipation than anything else.

Firefly nodded and nuzzled her kiddo affectionately.

"You and me both, kiddo. You and me both." She said. With that, she took Patrick on a short flight before dinnertime.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Abby had just finished feeding Sophie. She was just about to burp her when Dr. Larson came into the room.

"Hi." She said. "I just wanted to check on you two before I left for the night. Lucy and Jeanie will be here, so you'll be in good hands."

"I know." Abby said confidently. She gazed Dr. Larson curiously. "Do you know how Sophie survived the fall?" She asked.

Dr. Larson shrugged.

"I'd say it was nothing short of a miracle." She replied.

"Amen to that." Abby said.

"What I can figure based on what we found when we delivered her, she was protected when you fell. If you had hit your stomach more to the right, you would have lost her. But since you hit it more to the left, she was protected."

Abby nodded. She sent a silent prayer of thanks up to God as she hugged Sophie close. She planted a kiss on her cheek and ruffled her reddish brown hair.

"Do you hear that, little one? You're a miracle." She said lovingly.

"She sure is that." Dr. Larson agreed. She stayed and talked with Abby for a few more minutes before leaving for the night.

Once Dr. Larson had left, Abby settled down for the night. She got Sophie ready for bed and spent some time with her before falling asleep for the rest of the night.

Mike had had dinner with her and had spent some time with Sophie before going back to the house for the night. He was coming back in the morning to pick Abby and Sophie up and bring them back to Ponyland via Naia and Flutterbye.

Smiling to herself, Abby let her gaze wander over to Sophie who was sleeping soundly. She couldn't wait to be home with both of her daughters and show Sophie how beautiful and fun Ponyland was.

She knew Brooke would help out as well. She already seemed to love Sophie and she hadn't even met her yet.

"Sweet dreams, Soph. Mommy loves you. I'll see you in the morning." With that, Abby closed her eyes and was asleep in minutes.

She had a feeling that Sophie would be waking her up in a few hours, but she didn't mind. It was just part of being a mother and Abby was fine with it. She had been through it with Brooke. Now she would be able to experience it again with Sophie. And she couldn't wait.

Meanwhile, back in Ponyland, Megan was getting the baby ponies ready for bed as well as Molly and Kassie.

They were all excited about Abby and Mike's surprise. Therefore, it was hard for them to fall asleep.

Megan understood this and didn't let it get to her when the baby ponies couldn't' fall right to sleep. She was always very patient with them. She was excited as well. She knew what the surprise was of course, but she was still excited to have her new little cousin home where she belonged.

Brooke was also keeping the secret to herself pretty well.

As she put Baby Rainbow Star in bed and tucked her in, Baby Glory sat up again. Megan didn't have the heart to scold her because she knew that Baby Glory was just excited about Abby's surprise.

"Aunt Abby home yet?" She asked.

No!" Megan said laughing. "Now, please lay back down, Baby Glory. I told you. The sooner you fall asleep, the sooner morning will come."

Baby Glory nodded and tried her best to obey Megan. She knew she needed her rest, but she just couldn't fall asleep. She was too excited.

Megan managed to sing the baby ponies to sleep as well as Molly and Kassie.

Once everyone was asleep, Megan left the room to get some rest of her own. She couldn't wait for morning to come herself.

Despite Abby's accident, Megan had a feeling that things were going to get better very soon…


	7. Chapter 7

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. I do however own all of the Human characters, along with the ponies Baby Rainbow Star, Mahina and Melody.  
God loves you  
Enjoy!

"The Greatest of Gifts"

Chapter 7

Over the next few days, it was hard for everyone to stay focused on anything. They were all anticipating Abby and Mike's homecoming, along with their surprise.

Brooke was especially excited, but she was keeping it under wraps pretty well.

Finally, Saturday arrived.

Brooke awoke feeling more excited than she had been in a long time. She had talked to her mother a few times over the last few days, so she knew she was okay. She had also been able to talk to Sophie for a few minutes as well.

She couldn't wait to hold her.

As she joined the others for breakfast, it was all they could talk about!

Matt had even taken off work so he could be there to welcome his friend's home.

"I can't wait to see the surprise!" Molly said excitedly.

"Me neither!" Fizzy affirmed. "I hope Abby's okay though." She had heard about what had happened from Megan and the others.

Molly nodded as she bit into her cereal.

"Megan said she was fine." She replied. "And Megan doesn't lie."

After breakfast was over, everyone helped clean up and then hung out in the living room doing their own thing.

They wanted to be there when Abby and Mike came back home…

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Abby was getting Sophie ready to go home. She dressed her in a pink and purple onesy with a pink headband to match.

"You look so cute!" Abby gushed. "Your big sister is going to love you! She already does, but she's gonna be happy to have you home. As for your cousins, Patrick and Megan and Molly and Julie and Em are going to love you too." With that, she picked a gurgling Sophie up and held her close.

Dr. Larson came in shortly to do one final examination before releasing Abby and Sophie.

"You both look great!" She announced after the exam was complete. "I would advise you get a little more rest for the next few days, but you're good to go otherwise."

Abby grinned. She gazed lovingly down at Sophie.

"Did you hear that, Soph? You can come home."

Sophie smiled for the first time, making Abby giggle and Dr. Larson smile.

Mike arrived a little while later to bring them home.

"So are my two favorite girls ready to come home?" He asked. He kissed Abby's cheek and then Sophie's.

Abby nodded.

"I think we are." Abby replied. With that, she carried Sophie out of the hospital. They met Naia and Paradise in the parking garage.

"Aw, she's beautiful!" Naia gushed upon first seeing Sophie. She nuzzled her gently. "Aloha little one. You are just the cutest wittle baby!"

Abby giggled.

"See? I told you you were gonna be loved." She let Paradise nuzzle Sophie before climbing on Naia's back for the journey home.

"So are you ready to go?" Naia asked her friend.

Abby nodded.

"Yes!" She said happily.

Sophie answered with her own string of gurgles.

This got everyone laughing.

Meanwhile, back in Ponyland, the baby ponies had just woken up from their nap.

Baby Glory couldn't sleep anymore and she knew that the other baby ponies and Kassy felt the same way.

as she gazed around the room ,she saw that Baby Rainbow Star, Baby Moondancer and Baby Surprise weren't there. She smiled and went to find her friends.

she found them in the kitchen, getting a snack from Megan.

Megan smiled when she saw Baby Glory.

"Did you sleep well, Baby Glory?" Megan asked, handing her a juice box and some crackers.

Baby Glory nodded and thanked Megan for her snack.

"You're welcome," Megan said. She sat down to enjoy her own snack with the baby ponies and her little cousin.

As the baby ponies were finishing up their treat, the front door opened and Abby's cheerful voice rang through out the Estate's foyer.

"We're home everyone!"

"Aunt Abby back! Aunt Abby back!" Baby Glory ran out of the room and to her favorite aunt. She nuzzled her waist. She was so happy to see her.

"Aunt Abby! Aunt Abby!" She squealed. "I so glad you back! I miss you!"

"Aw, I missed you too my angel, " Abby said, picking Baby Glory up for a hug.

As she hugged the baby pony close, she turned to Megan, Firefly, Fizzy, Heart Throb, Molly, Matt, Brooke, Julie, Emily and Patrick, who had all gathered in the living room and said, "Mike and I have a surprise for all of you." She smiled as she said

this.

Everyone waited with baited breath to see what it was. She winked at Brooke and Megan, who gave her a signal in return.

Emily was twirling a strand of her hair around her finger while sitting on Matt's lap.

Molly was absentmindedly playing with Jewelhart's leash and Megan was patting Baby Rainbow Star's mane absently.

Patrick was twirling his magic wand in his hand, making sure not to wave it accidentally. He didn't' want anymore accidents while Abby was around.

Firefly sat near Patrick, resting her wings. As she was about to say something, Mike came into the room carrying Sophie in his loving embrace. As he walked into the room, Sophie started to wake up. She started to fuss a little and Mike handed her off to Abby.

Abby put Baby Glory down gently and took her daughter into her arms. She knew she was going to be hungry after she woke up fully.

As the sound of Sophie's fusses met the ears of everyone seated in the room, Molly gasped and exclaimed, "Holy macanoli!"

Julie gasped.

"You had the baby early!" She exclaimed.

Emily cheered as did Julie.

Abby nodded as she smiled around at her family.

"Yup. Not only that, but she's healthy and very happy."

"Mommy, can I hold her, please?" Brooke asked. "I promise I'll be careful."

Abby nodded. She walked over to Brooke and placed Sophie in her arms.

"You need to support her head." Abby reminded her eldest daughter.

Brooke nodded and allowed Abby to show her how to do it right.

Once Abby was sure that Sophie was going to be okay, she turned her attention to everyone else's questions.

"Can I hold her next, o'lu'ulu?" Emily asked.

"Sure." Abby said. She sat down next to Mike and across from everyone else.

"But the accident…" Patrick said as his voice trailed off. "You fell on your stomach and…"

Abby smiled warmly at him.

"Yes I did. But Sophie was protected. God was protecting her." She said knowingly.

Patrick nodded. He understood now. And boy was he grateful.

"Amen to that." Matt agreed. He smiled as he gazed over at Sophie. "She is really beautiful."

"Thanks." Abby replied.

"What's her name?" Molly asked.

"Sophie." Abby replied. "Sophie Keona Collins."

"That's pretty." The eight-year-old commented.

"Really pretty." Fizzy agreed.

"Mom, she likes me!" Brooke announced happily. She was holding Sophie, who looked very content.

"Of course she does." Abby said. "You're her big sister. She loves you."

Brooke smiled down at Sophie as she planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I love you too, Soph." She whispered so only Sophie could hear her. "I'll always protect you."

After Emily had a chance to hold the baby, Abby took her back so she could feed her.

Once that was done, she gave her back to Brooke who begged to hold her again.

The eight-year-old was a natural and Abby was proud of her.

As Abby gazed around at her family and then at Sophie, she smiled from ear to ear.

Even though the accident had happened, it had helped her relearn a lesson.

No matter what happened, God always had a better plan in mind. He had certainly shown Abby and Mike that through this experience.

And if there was one thing Abby was sure of, it was that Sophie was definitely one of the greatest gifts she had ever received.

Later that night, Abby tucked Sophie in her new crib. She had placed the crib in her and Mike's room for the time being.

Brooke had asked er if Sophie could share a room with her, but Abby explained that Sophie was still too young for that. She promised her that they could try it once Sophie was a little older.

Brooke was disappointed, but she accepted her mother's Decision. She would get a chance to spend lots of time with Sophie any way.

As Abby watched Sophie sleep, she smiled as her gaze traveled to the open window.

"Thank you, Father. Thank you for blessing me with two precious gifts. I know Sophie is an example of the miracles you perform every day and I don't know what I wood do without her. Amen." With that, Abby kissed Sophie's cheek, made sure she was warm enough and left her to get some sleep.

It had been a long few days and they all needed their rest for the days ahead.

But as Abby checked on Brooke and climbed into bed beside her fiancé, she smiled.

Everything had worked out according to God's plan and Abby couldn't have been happier and more relieved. She had been initially afraid when the accident had happened. But she knew that God would see her through it, just like He had seen her through everything she had experienced in her life. And as long as she had faith and let God handle the rest, everything would be fine.

Megan was also right. There was always another Rainbow and if you looked hard enough, you could find a Rainbow anywhere.

THE END


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